That cooler and ice move was smart, saved you half your stuff. I had a fridge die on me last year. The big thing is checking if your renters or home insurance has appliance coverage. Mine didn't, but some do. I had to pull from my emergency fund, which is exactly what that money is for. After that, I started setting aside a small amount each month just for appliance repairs.

Remember hearing about a town that put in a roundabout and had to add extra signs because people kept driving over the center island... like full on mounting the curb. Makes me think @taylor.betty is onto something about the design being part of it. People just freeze up or guess wrong when things are new and they have to yield. My cousin's insurance went up just because he lives near one now, says the company told him it's a known hotspot. Maybe the circles work in theory but the switchover period is just pure chaos for local body shops.

At least the beans were probably good, right?

My first year freelancing I said yes to three of those deals.

Oh man, that's a tough lesson. I read a column once that called these "option fee" inspections, the cost of keeping your place in line for a hot property. It made me see it differently, like paying for a ticket to get in the game. Still, watching four hundred dollars vanish for a house you don't get has to sting, no matter how you frame it. I guess it comes down to whether you see it as a wasted fee or the price of being a serious buyer in a fast market.